1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to construction project management, and more particularly to a system and method for tracking the progress of construction projects.
2. Description of the Background Art
Managing a large construction project is a complex undertaking. Typical tasks include, but are not limited to, project design, ordering materials and supplies, fabrication, transportation of fabricated components, installation, inspection/testing, employee management, monitoring the use of resources, and customer billing. To complicate matters further, many of these tasks are performed at a construction site that is some distance from the construction company's central office, making supervision of the project even more difficult.
Having current information regarding the status of a project is critical to proper management. For example, current status information is required for a manager to determine whether a project is on schedule and/or is staying within budgetary constraints. As another example, it is common for construction contracts to provide for a payment schedule that is tied to certain percentages of completion of the project. Thus, it is important for management to know (and to be able to demonstrate to a customer) the status of a project, because delays in collecting and compiling status data result in delays in receiving payment. Under current practices, the time required to collect and process status data can be weeks for complex projects.
Another problem encountered in the management of construction projects is that certain critical projects (e.g., food handling systems, pharmaceutical systems, etc.) require validation that the project has been constructed in accordance with certain standards. Such validation typically requires the compiling of inspection reports and of product and/or process certifications of installed components. It is not uncommon for the validation process to take up to six months after project completion.
It is also difficult to maintain a “paper trail” of the project for warranty, liability, and/or other purposes. For example, if an installed component fails, it will be necessary to retrieve any information (e.g., manufacturer, inspections, warranty information, repair/replacement information, etc.) relating to the failed component. Under current practices, locating such information is extraordinarily time consuming. First the component must be identified. Then the purchasing records must be searched to determine which vendor provided the component. If more than one vendor provides identical components, it may be impossible to determine and/or prove the source of the component. Even if the vendor can be determined, it still remains to search records to determine the vendor's and/or manufacture's responsibility. Indeed, the time and expense required to collect the information on the component may well exceed the cost of simply replacing it.
For several reasons, detailed data related to the status of a construction project is not typically collected. First, as explained above, construction sites are physically removed, making data collection more difficult. Another reason is that workers at the site (electricians, plumbers, welders, etc.) are tradesman skilled in their field, but not trained, equipped, or necessarily willing to collect detailed data at a construction site. Yet another reason might be that data on the status of a project will be of little value when the project is complete. For example, the most detailed data is of little value if it cannot be compiled and presented in a manner that provides useful information. Whatever the reason(s), detailed data regarding the status of construction projects is not currently collected.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for providing the current status of construction projects. What is also needed is a system and method for providing near real-time information regarding the status of construction projects. What is also needed is a system and method for providing current costs expended on a construction project. What is also needed is a system and method for organizing and providing certification, inspection, and other information related to components of a construction project. What is also needed is a system and method for easily collecting data at a construction site. What is also needed is a system and method for presenting construction project data in a useful manner.